Why You Might Want To Rethink Wearing A Veil

Why You Might Want To Rethink Wearing A Veil

Wedding trends have come and gone over the years, but the veil has remained a constant fixture in a bride's attire. The lifting of this piece of ivory cloth after the exchange of rings — and the subsequent kiss — is a significant part of the ceremony.

Everyone knows that this rite is supposed to officially commence married life, but why exactly is the veil — which serves no real practical purpose, if you think about it — still around till this day? We're about to dig deep into the origins and significance of this tradition. Warning: After reading this, you may not feel like wearing one on your big day.

Advertisement

To Scare Off Evils SpiritsThe ancient Romans were a pretty superstitious bunch. In fact, they were so terrified of haunted spirits that the veil was devised to shield the bride from ghosts. A red sheet, known as the "flammeum", was used to obscure the bride's entire body to create the illusion of flames —apparently the only thing that could ward off these demons. The fabric also served as a camouflage to disguise her face.

To Signify Purity And ObedienceThe white wedding dress didn't come to represent purity until the mid-18th century, when Queen Victoria made the color fashionable. However, the veil has been around much longer. Revered as a symbol of modesty, the veil has played a part in religious ceremonies around the world, such as Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Wedding ceremonies have historically been closely associated with religious events, so the veil has become an embodiment of the virtues of innocence and submissiveness.

To Indicate The Groom's OwnershipTurns out, the practice of having the bride's dad walk her down the aisle has a pretty antiquated subtext. The act of "giving her away" was taken in the literal sense back in the day — as a transfer of ownership from the father to the husband, who then lifted the veil to seal the deal.

To Prevent The Bride From EscapingOn top of all the messed up reasons above, it seems like the veil was also created to hinder the bride's vision and movement — so that she wouldn't be able to run away from the arranged marriages of yore. Bustle reports that the trains of wedding gowns were kept long for the same reasons. Isn't patriarchy the greatest?